With more than 100,000 votes cast through early and mail-in voting before polls open on Election Day in Lake County Tuesday, Democratic and Republican leaders were expressing optimism and enthusiasm about the results they hope to see when votes are counted.
Voters can cast ballots at their designated polling site in Lake County between 6 a.m. and 7 p.m. Tuesday, making choices which may determine if Democrats continue their hold on elective offices in the county established in the 2018 midterm election, or if the GOP will make gains.
Lake County Clerk Robin O’Connor said as of late Monday morning, 63,823 people had voted early with five early voting sites remaining open until 7 p.m. O’Connor said 36,329 vote-by-mail ballots were received in her office by then, with 15,405 still outstanding.
During the 2018 midterm elections, when Democrats gained control of the Lake County Board for the first time in history, O’Connor said 74,996 people voted early and 34,003 cast mail-in ballots out of 254,217 total votes.
“Our election judges tell me it was very busy over the weekend,” O’Connor said. “From what we’re seeing, we expect it to be a very busy Election Day. The vote-by-mail numbers have already passed 2018.”
Lake County Democratic Chair Lauren Beth Gash said candidates, their staffs and volunteers have been working very hard ahead of the election. She anticipates her party’s success will continue Tuesday.
“Voters in our area know Democrats reflect their values better,” she said. “We’ve been very successful letting them know that. We’re running strong candidates where we haven’t run anyone in the past.”
Keith Brin, the Lake County GOP chair, said four weeks ago he was uncertain whether there would be a strong turnout of Republican voters, but now he senses more excitement after some positive newspaper endorsements.
“I’m very, very confident Republicans will be getting out the vote,” he said. “A lot of this comes from outside of Illinois. I’m hearing from our precinct committeemen and volunteers they are hearing we are the better choice.”
People voting at one of five early voting locations open Monday at Waukegan’s Bowen Park were waiting in line to mark their choices. O’Connor said the line was long because there was only one express voting machine for those who did not live in the immediate area.
Several voters like Timothy Stirnichuk of Beach Park leaving the Bowen Park location said avoiding a long wait Tuesday and the issue of women’s reproductive health brought them out Monday.
“The right to choose an abortion is very important,” Stirnichuk said. “It’s a right we have to save.”
“We have to keep it that way here for people from other states where the law has been changed,” added Arelis Hernandez of Waukegan.
Alice Lewis of Waukegan said she also wanted to avoid a long wait Tuesday. Abortion rights were on the top of her mind, too. Her opinion differed from Stirnichuk and Hernandez
“I’m pro-life,” Lewis said. “I’m glad they (reversed) Roe v. Wade.”
O’Connor said there will be 106 neighborhood polling sites open Tuesday. If people are uncertain of their location, she said they can click on “Voter Power” on the clerk’s website or call the office. Any county voter can cast a ballot in the lobby of the Lake County Courthouse & Administration Building in downtown Waukegan during voting hours.
While there have been reports of people intimidating voters in other states, including some holding guns, trying to suppress votes while claiming to be protecting election security, O’Connor said she does not anticipate that locally. Nevertheless, officials are prepared
“Our election judges are very well trained on what to do,” O’Connor said. “The Lake County state’s attorney has a team ready to take any action any action necessary. Election judges are always in communication with us. As problems escalate, our response escalates.”
Changes reporting votes after the polls close implemented during the June primary will continue Tuesday night. O’Connor said when the initial votes are posted at some time after 7 p.m., they will include early and mail-in votes. Before June, those tallies were not added until all Election Day results were known.
“People said they wanted to see results faster,” she said. “We made the change in the primary and people liked it, so we’re doing it again.”
